Banana-crate.



No. 868,790. A PATENTED QGT.22,`1907.

A. L0MBARD0. BANANA CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 16, 1907.

1H; Namens Persa: ca, wasnmawn, o. c

UNITED STATES AUGUST LOMBARDO, OF WASHINGTON, IOWA.

BANANA-CRATE Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907'.

Application iiled January 16, 1907. Serial No. 352,637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST LOMBARDO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the count-y of Washington and State oi Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banana- Crates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in shipping receptacles or crates, and particularly to a banana crate.

The object el the invention is the provision of means for facilitating the handling and shipping of a bunch of bananas, without liability of injuring the same. i

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and cl aimed In the drawings: Figure l is a View in side elevation of a crate constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional View of the structure ol' the crate depicted in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the crate. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the crate taken on line 4, l, Fig.

In carrying out the present invention, I have assembled two slattcd, cylindrical sections together, one within the other, and secured these sections together only at their ends; the outer section being formed of stiff or stronger material than the inner section, whereby said outer section forms a protector or shield for the inner section, which inner section has the bag or sack secured thereto, as hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l designates the outer protecting-section, and 2 the inner section. The outer protecting-section comprises longitudinal panels 3 and a ser-ies of outer hoops 4. Two of the hoops 4 are secured at the ends of the panels or strips 8. The panels or strips are spaced apart for forming a slatted, cylindrical section.

The inner or bag-carrying section 2 comprises longi tudinal panels or strips 5 intermediate hoops 6. Two of the intermediate hoops 6 are secured at the ends of the panels or strips 5. The hoops 4 and 6 are preferi ably positioned parallel. Inner hoops 7 are secured within the inner, slatted section 2, and at its ends, parallel with the endhoops of the outer and inner sections l and 2, respectively. The inner hoops 7 constitute reinforcing means for the end of the crate, as well as assisting in securing the ends of the inner and outer sections together.

It will be noted that the crate is of a sectional structure, the sections of which are only secured at the ends, because, while all of the end hoops of the outer ner sections l and 2, respectively, are secured together, the intermediate hoops of each section are only secured to the panels or strips of its respective section.

A bag or sack 8 of any preferred structure, suitable to accommodate a bunch of bananas, is placed within the inner section 2 and secured, intermediate its ends, to the inner section 2, by means of preferably flexible loops 9. Each intermediate hoop of the inner section 2 is provided contiguous to each panel or strip 5 with a pair oi horizontal apertures 10, through which one of said loops 9 is threaded, see Fig. 4. By reason of the fact that the hoops of the inner section 2 are parallel with the hoops of the outer section l, the outer part or knot 9/ of each loop 9 is placedbehind a panel or strip 3 and a hoop 4, thereby preventing the loop 9 from being cut or injured by any object coming in contact with the outer protecting-section l. The panels or strips 3 of the outer or primary section l are formed of comparatively thick or stiff material, so as to produce a stiff or rigid outer section, while the inner section has its panels 5 formed of material having sufficient resiliency to permit a panel or panels of said sections to be slightly bent inward, actingas a cushion for a bunch of bananas carried by the bag S, when the crate is suddenly jarred or roughly handled. It will, therefore, be noted that the bag 8 is suspended or supported intermediate its ends, upon a resilient, inner section, which inner section permits the bag to have a slight, lateral movement upon either of its sides, as the weight of a bunch of bananas contained therein, is brought to bear upon any l side of the bag. A portion of the lower end 8/ of the bag 8 is secured between the lower, inner, reinforcing hoop 7 and the lower ends of the panels or strips 5, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. By reason of the positioning of the lower or open-end 8 of the bag between the inner hoop and the lower end of the inner section 2, the mouth of the bag can be easily and quickly opened and a bunch of bananas placed in the bag by a single operator.

In the claims, I have designated the crate or sections thereof as being of a "slatted structure, which means that the sections are formed of longitudinal panels preferably held together by hoops. The panels or strips 3 and 5 of the outer and inner sections constitute slats.

What I claim is:

A banana crate, comprising an outer, cylindrical and an inner cylindrical section, each section comprising longitudinal panels and intermediate and end-hoops positioned thereon, inner hoops positioned Within and at the ends of the inner section and parallel with the end hoops or' the inner and outer sections, means fixedly securing the endhoops of the inner and outer sections and the inner hoops together, means lxedly securing the intermediate hoops of the outer section only to the panels of said outer section, means xedly securing the intermediate hoops o1' the inner section only to the panels ot' the inner section, a bag post tionedlwithin the inner section, one of the inner hoops positioned within said bag, whereby a portion of the bag is positioned between an inner hoop and the panels of the in ner section, each intermediate hoop of the inner section provided with a pair ot' apertures contiguous to each panel, and loops secured to the bag and threaded through 10 the apertures of the intermediate hoops and positioned behind the intermediate hoops of the outer section.

In testimony whereot` I hereunto aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST LOMBARDO.

Witnesses CHASE BONNIs'rA, H. A. MONTGOMERY, 

